Bottom Line:
For hardcore gamers the Scythe Co. Ergo Diver could be just what you need to get the most out of your little pinky. For super slick mouse work the Ergo Diver MousePad is really slick. We put these two products to the test, find out how they rated in our official review...

The Ergo Diver MousePad was one of the better products we received from Scythe
Co.. If you have used a RatPadz or Everglide mousepad, then you will be familiar
with this style of plastic mousepad. These pads differ from the more traditional
rubber mousepads, in that they are made with a very hard, stiff plastic. They
generally have the advantage of a lower coefficient of friction on the surface,
so that the mouse moves easier. Here are the features of this mousepad, taken
from Scythe Co.'s site:

Features:

Minute "convexoconcave" texture surface enables both ball-type
and optical mice to work in optimal conditions with extremely high precision.

Made of ABS resin which realizes nearly maintenance-free working environment.
(Least likely to incur quality degradation such as cracking and bending due
to high heat or moisture.) Wiping with wet tissue may suffice for cleaning.

Equipped with nine silicon rubber feet that make it securely fixed to the
desktop.

Also comes with Teflon tape (4pcs) to be attached to the bottom of a mouse,
which enhances the tracking movement.

Description:
The pad is square, with a curve cut out of the bottom for your wrist. It isn't
as large as a RatPadz or Everglide pad, measuring 20cm x 20cm, or about 8"
x 8". The top surface of the pad is rough to the touch, with many small
bumps in the texture of the pad, which are supposed to help the precision of
the mouse. The pad is farly lightweight, yet stiff enough that it doesn't bend
at all. It also has nine rubber pads on the underside, which prevents it from
sliding around quite well. We received three colors - black, blue, and green
- all of which look good on your desk alongside your other peripherals.

Results:
I used the mousepad over a period of a few weeks in order to get a good sense
of what it felt like, and to get adjusted to it. Because Scythe Co. included
Teflon tape pieces with the mousepad, I decided to put them on my mouse over
the existing pads on the bottom. However, because my Logitech optical mouse
has 5 pads on the bottom, I took a fifth tape piece from a second mousepad package.
So be warned, if your mouse has more than four pads on the bottom, you can't
really put Scythe Co.'s on without making the mouse unbalanced. I don't really
think these Teflon tape pieces are any better than the stock ones on most mice,
so it's not a problem they didn't include enough. I only tested this pad with
optical mice, as I don't own any ball mice anymore - although I'm sure the results
would be similar on a ball mouse.

When I first started using the pad, I felt like I was consistently losing control
of my mouse. The mousepad was so slick that I had to hold the mouse back when
moving it, so that I wouldn't lose control of it completely. However, this was
a good problem, because it meant that once I got used to the pad, I could move
the mouse much quicker than with my old rubber pad. I found that I could push
the mouse on the pad and let go, and it would slide all over it; I could also
spin it in circles, and it would keep spinning around when I released it.

However, after using the mousepad for a few weeks, I found that the mouse no
longer glided as well as it did initially. I inspected the surface of the pad,
and found that a good amount of dust and dirt had built up in the rough surface.
I followed Scythe Co.'s suggestions for cleaning, and sprayed some Windex cleaner
on it, and wiped it off with tissue paper. This cleared the surface up completely,
and returned it to a like-new state.

I started by testing the pad with Quake III, which seemed like a good game
to use a product like this, because it is very fast paced and requires twitchy
aiming. Initially, I couldn't play at my usual skill because I was having trouble
keeping the mouse from flying off the edge of the pad. Nevertheless, in ten
minutes I was used to the pad, and I was playing better than I ever had. I'm
not usually one to advise buying new hardware to increase your skill in games,
because I think skill comes through practice instead of the computer one is
playing on. Yet, I felt like I could move the mouse much faster in Quake, and
this seemed to be helping me out quite a bit, as I could simply aim at people
and move around quicker.

Since then, I have been using the Ergo Diver MousePad exclusively, both in
various applications in Windows, and in RTS and FPS games. The pad has worked
well, giving me increased pointer speed, as well as increased precision.

Conclusion:
The only complaint I have with the Ergo Diver MousePad is that it is smaller
than competitors' pads. While I don't find myself running out of area on it,
I think that this is because I use a high mouse sensitivity in Windows and in
games. If you are a person who is most comfortable with low sensitivity (pointer
speed) in either Windows or in games, then this mousepad may not be the right
one for you. However, if you prefer a higher mouse sensitivity, or if you don't
mind occasionally picking up your mouse when you run out of real estate on the
pad, then this would be a good pad for you. I wouldn't recommend it if you're
not a gamer, because this pad only really starts to shine when you are doing
something that requires quick mouse movement, such as an RTS or FPS.

Matt's Moment:
I also have been using this mousepad for a good month and I absolutely love
it! I don't mind the small size at all.

Cons:
- Smaller than other plastic mousepads.
- Requires cleaning every few weeks (although this is also true of other plastic
pads).
- Only included four Teflon tape pieces, when my mouse originally had five.